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2013.08.23 - Dead Men Can't Jump
Magneto had taken a break from his duties to descend into the 'lab' area downstairs. It's a testing facility and a production zone all in one, a miniature version of his larger facility back in Genosha. The Master of Magnetism was wrappign up his last days in New York, and had agreed to give John some instruction in the basics of phase-shifting combat. "I've been studying your power for a few weeks now, John," Magneto says. He wears a comfortable jumpsuit and lab coat, looking every inch the working scientist. "While your gifts are impressive, it's the way you /use/ them that we need to improve upon." He gestures at a video screen, where a teleporting mutant (Nightcrawler, in fact) is rapidly teleporting around the room. "When you phase shift, you gain combat advantages over your opponent that I think you are under estimating." He switches video to modern martial arts, where two men are on the ground rolling and punching one another. "This is a situation you can avoid easily, if you choose to do so." Carmichal listens. He too is dressed in something other than his regular clothes today. Today he's wearing his costume, sans mask. His jumpsuit really isn't TOO special other than that it's made unstable molecules, and is a specially designed fabric that is both supple, but proof against small arms ammunition. He listens to Magneto speak watching the video screens, and nods, tilting his head. "Wait..." he says pointing to the blue mutant "Who is that?" he says "I think I met him in Gotham the other day....." he says. When Olena makes her way into the lab, it's with quick, measured strides -- a crisp, efficient pace. She pauses at the door for a moment, assessing the discussion of the two men meeting within, and whether or not now is a good time to interrupt. As important, however, as Magneto's instruction of the investigator may be, however, it's trumped by matters of state. Thus, with only a moment's hesitation, she continues crisply into the room, a computer tablet in hand. "Forgive me for interrupting, Imperator," she says in her accented English, putting on bit more of a show of formality than she might otherwise do, simply due to the guest in the room. "But I have satellite launch information you requested." Her eyes glance briefly to Carmichal, out of his gumshoe getup and into a more heroic uniform. She notes it, and files it away for later. Her attention returns to Magneto. "Kurt Wagner," Magneto says, pronouncing it with heavy European accent. "A member of the X-men, off and on. His particular gifts are that he can teleport at will, something which makes him a rather dangerous opponent." It's at that moment that Strilka arrives, and delivers her report. Magneto is unable to keep a flash of irritation from his face as she passes the information on in front of John, but nods once, instantly composing himself. "Very good. Thank you, my dear. Would you please stay a moment?" he says, as if to head her off from continuing to speak. "Mister Carmichael is interested in learning some advanced combat techniques, and I think you could prove to be a good training partner." He nods at a locker nearby. "I took the liberty of building you a new bow and quiver," he says. "There are some blunted arrows on the bench over there- why don't you arm yourself and go a few rounds with John?" The Imperator turns back to the arena and makes a gesture. Large slabs of metal about six feet tall slide up from the floor, creating an effective labyrinth. Magneto rises up into the air so he can see down into the improvised arena. "John, I want you to focus on using terrain to your advantage," he informs Ghost. "Break yourself of the habit of going around walls. Think in terms of straight lines, and see if you can land a finger on Oksana. A touch should be sufficient." He smiles at Olena. "As for you, my dear, this will be a chance to deal with someone who your unique gifts may be challenged by. I hope you find it engaging." Carmichal's eyes turn to Olena as she arrives, and he smiles in a friendly fashion, standing up straighter than he had been perhaps only a bit. If anything the move seems to have been made subconsciously, and he clasps his hands behind his back, military at-ease style. He remains silent however, as she addresses Magneto, after all, he was a guest here, it would be impolite to interrupt. At the mention of Kurt being a member of the X-men, which he also hadn't heard of, Carmichal remains silent, simply nodding to the information. But when Magneto suggests Olena help in his training, he glances to her a bit more warily than he had before. Glancing toward the locker Magneto'd mention to Olena "Uh...sure" he asks "I didn't bring my weapons with me...." he says "And I'd hate to have to sock such a pretty kisser as hers...." he says lightly. Yeah it was patronizing, but he wasn't MEANING to be "But if she's got the moves I think she does, that won't be too easy I'd guess." Olena blinks mildly at the Imperator's instruction to her. The clothing she wears, today, is functional and suitable to public presentation in the embassy. But it's not her combat armour. Still, it's loose enough. She can make it work. "Da, Imperator," she says simply, acquiescing with a light nod. She moves toward the locker he indicates and opens it up. As she withdraws the bow, her smile is immediate and appreciative. It's a nice bow -- perfectly suited to her height and, as she pulls the string back to test it, draw. The addition of the scopes on it is something new, however, though well-balanced enough that, as she swings it back and forth in her hand, sweeping her arm in a broad arc, she is confident it won't hinder her or take terribly long to adjust to. She then picks up the quiver and hefts its weight. It's light, as well, which is an added bonus, though, lately, she's become accustomed to carrying more hardware than she ever did as an Olympian. She slings it over her shoulder and pulls an arrow to see these blunted tips and test their balance. Huhn. Da. She can work with that. "I could take a moment to change?" she suggests, canting her head. "By all means." Magneto smiles and gestures towards the locker room, a merry twinkle in his eye. He turns back to John as Olena slips out to get int more comfortable gear. "John, how much formal training have you had in using your gifts?" he asks the man in those cultured tones. "I recognize military training when I see it, but I cannot imagine you were under the tutelage of someone who truly appreciated your talents /and/ could understand them." Carmichal looks to Magneto as he pulls his mask on, taking his position at the opposite end of the little maze from Olena, and shrugs "None really. Most of what I learned I learned on the fly during the war." he says and then chuckles "No. The brass never knew about my abilities, but they did like that my missions generally ended in success." he says. "I've been training since my revival a couple months ago, but only basic stuff. I'm mostly self-trained on the streets." he says "as far as fighting goes." he admits "But I kept my abilities to myself in the old days." he says and shrugs "So...to answer your initial question, Excellency, none whatsoever." he says Olena slips into the locker room and suits up. The new armour she's been given, she notes, is a lot finer and lighter than the adapted motorcycle leathers she had been wearing. She returns from the locker room, setting the visor in place and adjusting the strap of the quiver to fit comfortably. She turns to Magneto, and pauses, giving him a half-bow. "Spasybi, dyad'ko." It's thanks she offers him. Because, wow. This new equipment is NICE. She does appreciate it. Then, wordlessly, she goes to the far end of the maze and sets up. "In that case, this should prove educational," Magneto says with a smile. "I cannot help every mutant in Genosha with their gifts, unfortunately, but I think you have hidden levels that even you don't know of yet. I suspect that the day may come when you will save many Genoshans, John. I'm going to try and give you the tools to do so." He hovers back a few feet, glancing in Olena's direction, then looks down at John. "I'd start moving, if I were you. She is ....ferocious on the offensive." Carmichal, instead of moving, his face covered now by his mask, simply stands there for a few moments. Fog begins to roil from nowhere, and everywhere around him, and his form begins to fade from view, as though ceasing to exist. The fog forms around him, and the general vicinity, becoming nearly opaque, before the clouds begin to move about, slowly but certainly already beginning to disappate. Once invisible, he begins to move toward Olena, phasing through the first wall ahead of him slowly, poking only his face through, so as to see what was on the other side, before proceeding. Olena stands at her end for a moment, listening, sensing, pulling in a sense of Potik -- the flow of the environment around her. Everything from the scents in the air, to the whisper of fabric, to the micro movements of the natural dust inherent even in the cleanest rooms when living bodies exist in it, is apparent to her. As John begins to move at the far end, she does, too, aware of how the fog moves and dissipates only because of the moisture changes in the air. Her steps are swift and as silent as they can be under the circumstances. She runs for the back wall, takes two or three steps straight up it and pushes off to catch the top of one of the walls Magneto erected. Crouching there, the ceiling too low for her to stand entirely upright despite her short stature, she pulls an arrow and sets it to her string. She knows her opponent will be invisible and often intangible. But that doesn't mean he won't leave some sign -- a scent or whisper of sound. And she will use every ability she has to detect it. She starts moving along the wall in a crouch. Sure, he can look up and see her. But, he's got that advantage anyway. So, she has to get the broadest view she can. Magneto watches the entire thing unfold calmly. It's absolutely apparent that he can see /everything/ that's happening, his eyes flickering from Olena to John's positions. Moreover, there's that profound mass about him that only the hypersensitive (and intangible) can sense- a magnetic force of incredible power, barely held in check. Even standing in silence, he's a living dynamo that affects the world around him on a passive level. Carmichal continues his forward movement, making nary a sound. Difficult to do so when one isn't solid enough to be stopped by solid objects. Nothing to create sounds against. Well, other than his breathing, and/or heart-beat. Luckily Magneto's not too close, or his field would toss John violently back into solidity. Carmichal has spotted his target, crouched atop one of those walls. Hmmmm how to get up there? He hasn't learned to 'walk on air' as it were, in fact, the concept has never even occurred to him. He continues on toward the woman however, moving slowly, and directly, practically floating, ghostlike through the course. He stops, then, watching her aiming in his direction, and looks right, then left, before trying to sneak to the left, watching to see if the woman is tracking his movements somehow. Breathing and heartbeats are perfect locators for someone of Olena's talents. That and... well, frankly, her eyes flick occasionally to Magneto to see where his attention flicks. Is that cheating? Tough. Olena believes in using her whole environment. And, up on the walls, as she is, she's got that uninterrupted view of him. Between the Imperator's flicked gaze and the soft approach and quiet change in the Ghost's breathing, the archer has a clue. She moves opposite to John, twists, and fires a blunt arrow in a sudden reversal of movement to the place where Magneto's glance and the breathing triangulate. Carmichal is in mid move when the arrow....zips right through him as if he were exactly the name the papers had given him so many decades ago. The Silver Ghost. Well, except he's not visible at the moment. He begins running however in her direction, phasing directly into one of the walls, but not exiting the other side. Instead, he seems to ooze up out of it, hoping to catch her by surprise by appearing directly beneath where she crouches, his hand coming up first, and then after, his head shoulders, and the rest of his body, as if the wall itself were exuding him. If he manages to catch up with her at this wall, he will drop both the invisibility, and the insubstantiality in order to tap her calf. "Mister Odame," Magneto says, ever the tone of polite consideration. He gestures an invitation to Kwabena, then brings the mutant hovering up next to him so he can see the competition. "You're looking rather well. I presume your trip was successful?" He glances briefly down into the arena, then at Kwabena, clearly indicating a desire for subtlety in his reply. Carmichal almost had her! Dammit. Her second arrow ALMOST got him too, but he was able to phase at the last second. She's gone, and he's following, rolling off the top of the wall, just trying to get close. He won't be able to go invisible again at any rate. It takes too much concentration, so he simply phases, and follows her allowing it to slow his descent, before landing, and taking off after her. He tries to phase through walls to cut her off, or head her off, not wanting to give the woman any time to reassess his location, or even rearm properly. For Olena, rearming is second nature. She's trained herself to be able to draw an arrow from her quiver and set it without having to look and without having to stay still. Being so aware of the way bodies move, it's a simply matter for her to compensate. With him quick on her heels, however, she's not wasting time with anything that will slow her down. Indeed, the bow slings over her shoulder, freeing her hands as she veers toward a side wall. Like a billiard ball glancing off the side of the table, she runs up and along it a couple of feet off the deck for about three steps before she launches herself perpendicularly to the top of the opposite wall and then leaps catlike on hands and feet between it and the wall beyond it and the wall beyond that. Again, she never quite stands up. There's just not enough room. But, she can move quickly even on all fours. She drops, however, into the far alley, disappearing from sight as she does. Kwabena does not seem perturbed in the way his body is lifted and brought upward. It would have been unsettling, if he wasn't the type to jump out of airplanes without a parachute. The power that Magneto possess? That's unsettling, but... well, Kwabena keeps his cool, at least outwardly. "It was, in spite of some few bumps along de way." Is there a touch of annoyance in his tone? If so, it's well guarded, for he caught the Imperator's suggestion and didn't want to get into those ugly details. "Oh, I do have something intahresting to show you," he says in an offhand manner, leaning over a bit toward Magneto and fixing the older gentleman with a knowing expression. "Satellite footage. Most intahresting. I think it might fill in some few holes." Following this, he reaches up idly with his left hand, pressing it against his right shoulder, where he'd been recently injured. Magneto nods once at Kwabena. "Good. I am pleased with the initial report. It sounds as if you completed the operation rather successfully." He frowns minutely. "I shan't make any more recommendations for co-workers, I think. And I believe I owe someone a 'thank you' for the recommendation I passed along as to your hiring." A moue of distate twists his mouth. "Unprofessional, indeed. At any rate, well done. I think the footage you have will prove most enlightening." He claps Kwabena encouragingly on the other shoulder and nods at the fight. "Take note here, my friend. We hone one another as a stone hones the blade. You and Mister Carmichael should exchange notes sometime on the subject of being intangible. I think you could both teach one another a great deal." Ok, she's really quick. Carmichal's liking this woman more and more as he chases her. As she goes up and over, he just bowls right through, straight lines, wasn't that what Magneto had suggested. Once he loses sight of her over that last wall, he just keeps on with the pursuit, until he's through that wall, and skids to a halt. He'll never get her this way. He phases backward through the wall he'd just come through, and pauses behind it, catching his breath, calming it. Quiet. Lower the heart-rate. He remains with his back to the wall, waiting. The moment Carmichal pops through that last wall, there's an arrow winging towards him. His phased retreat spares him the indignity of defeat. Olena speaks no word, listening to his heartbeat racing and his breath as he calms it and his racing heart. It grows softer, but not more distant. She draws another arrow and fits it to her bow, retreating as silently as she's able down the corridor. There is a moment where Kwabena considers the awkwardness of having the 'good job, tiger' clap-on-the-back sort of thing. It was never really his style, after all. He even goes so far as to give Magneto a rather curious smirk at the gesture, as if to say, 'Thanks for the gesture, but really? Champ?' No disrespect given, of course. He was pleased with the results of Operation Trump of Queens, but... it could have gone better. It would have gone better if a certain insane mercenary hadn't mysteriously showed up. That was still bothering him. Nevertheless, his attention turns rather intently upon the match taking place before them. He leans forward just so, watching as each person makes their move, and hisses slightly when the arrow nearly takes the Silver Ghost by surprise. "Damn, she's fast," he emotes, remembering the operation they were on together not more than twenty-four hours ago. Soon enough, however, he turns his attention upon the Ghost, while folding his arms in a thoughtful manner. "If I could disappear completely, I would," he remarks, before turning a mischievous look upon Magneto. "But I can come close." Magneto chuckles. "A useful skill to have," he says, a bit cryptically. "There are times we all would like to blend in." He watches the chase unfold, arms folded across his chest. The two seem evenly matched- reflexes and agility versus intangibility. "I think perhaps we should level the playing field a bit," Magneto informs Shift. He makes a small gesture- finger twitching- and watches to see what happens next as the duo chase each other about. Carmichal, once he's calmed himself enough, peeks through the wall again, having heard the "clang" of the arrow as it struck the wall behind him, wanting to be sure he's not about to take another arrow anyplace embarrassing before he moves again. He slips through the wall then, walking silently, slowly. He pauses then as he puts the pieces together. She was tracking him when he was invisible....that means she can either see beyond the visible light spectrum, or has some other means of tracking someone who can't be seen. Sonics perhaps? Maybe she was just attuned to hearing better than non-mutants. He decides to test the theory, and backtracks to where her arrow had hit the wall. He picks it up, and then begins BANGING the wall with it "CLANG-CLANG-CLANG-CLANG-CLANG-CLANG-CLANG" There's a tingle beneath Olena's fingertips as she pulls a fourth arrow. She moves quietly once more, doubling back and looping around. Being atop the walls gave her a good idea of the lay of the land, allowing her to pick paths through the maze. As John begins clanging the arrow against the wall, however, she winces, but adjusts. Her goal is to circle around behind him, and she is not dissuaded by it just because he's decided to bang a few trash cans (metaphorically speaking). And, truthfully, the banging wall, though it causes some echoing, makes for a great homing device. She knows right where he is. Thus, she eases around a gap in the wall, behind him, pulling back on her string and sending that fourth arrow toward that ticklish spot right between his shoulder blades... and ducks back into hiding before she sees whether or not it hits. And, it just may, if he doesn't dodge, thanks to EM charge it now carries with it. "More of a need than a desiah," notes Shift. He didn't feel as if he needed to disappear, for he was proud to be a mutant. But, there were times when blending in was necessary, for the sake of a task or job. He considered himself rather efficient sometimes. As soon as Magneto makes that hand gesture, however, Kwabena diverts his attention back to the match at hand. He watches Carmichal most closely, perking a curious eyebrow as he starts clanging on the metal wall. "Clevah," he notes, sounding legitimately impressed. "He's sniffing for her weaknesses." "Stones and blades, my friend, stones and blades. Quick and adaptive thinking will always overcome, in the end. My abilities are considerable, but it is my intellect that truly makes me dangerous. Levelling a mountain from orbit is far more impressive than crushing a handful of Sentinels, no?" He smiles at Kwabena, then turns back to the chase to see how the Silver Ghost responds to the amped up arrow he'd placed in Olena's quiver. And that, as they say, is that. Carmichal wasn't even phased. Couldn't hold his 'drumstick' while phased, and expect to make any noise, but the sudden, painful explosion of blunt force between his shoulderblades literally knocks him forward off his feet. He has no early warning system to tell him when he's being attacked from behind. He was sure he knew where SHE was, so wasn't guarding his six. He OOFS as he hits the ground, and rolls onto his back, trying to see where the shot had come from. He doesn't stay on his back though he gets up as quickly as he can, and begins running toward the direction the arrow had come from. He's outclassed, he knows it, but he's not about to quit because of it. If John is quick enough, he'll probably see Olena skid around the far corner of the corridor she disappeared into. She has another arrow in her hand, as she goes, her footsteps light but clear enough on the hard floor. Around that corner, she does the bounding wall trick again -- a favourite of hers, evidently, and starts corridor hopping again towards a T-shaped wall that provides a good firing nest. "I wouldn't know a thing about dat," answers Kwabena honestly. "I will leave de crushing of mountains to you." He cants his eyes Magneto's way, quietly wondering how the man would react to his typical style of banter. It sure as he11 wasn't like trading insults over drinks with Domino or Gambit. Looking back to the sparring, Kwabena visibly winces when Carmichal is struck. "If he doesn't let it get to his head," he remarks casually, "he might be able to out-think her. I don't think he'll be able to out-pace her. It's his only option." A pause. "He might have failed de first time, but he's learned something about her, now. He can use dat to his advantage, if he's persistent." So easy to criticize when you're floating in the air next to the Master of Magnetism. At least Shift is aware of that -- there isn't a shred of cockiness in his voice.. Magneto chuckles at Kwabena. "I think that perhaps that will be a motivation for him to do better next time," the Imperator suggests. He makes a gesture and the walls all slide smoothly back into the floor, leaving the arena a wide expanse of bare metal. "Well done, both of you," he congratulates them. "Oksana, remember to thank Mystique for her tutelage. John, I fear you've been outclassed," he informs him, smiling his condolence. "Your mistake was underestimating your opponent. There are few faster than she in the Brotherhood, and none more agile. But I congratulate you on your efforts. The attempt to confuse her sense of hearing was an intelligent one. It shows that you can think adaptively and assess your opponent's weaknesses." "Oksana, your abilities serve you well. I should like for you to think on this contest for a day, and tomorrow, tell me what you think you could have done when confronting someone like John who is impervious to traditional weapons. Consider it a science project," he adds, as he and Kwabena alight on the ground. The smokey one is right. Carmichal IS learning. He's figured out she likes the high ground. He's figured out that she's not nearly as 'offensive' as Magneto had warned him, but he has NOT yet confirmed that sounds throw her off. He does see her skid around the corner, but he's not ready to fumble in after her just yet. He picks up the arrows ans is about to try something else when the walls fall, and he drops to a crouch, arrow in hand. He looks to Magneto, and pulls off his mask with a smirk. "Excellency, I knew that before we even started...." he says "But a fella can't learn if he doesn't try, no?" he asks, and stands up looking toward Olena "Thanks, doll, that was fun....you're quicker than I anticipated..." he says with a smile. When the walls seep back into the floor there's the sound of just one person idly clapping, leaning against a far wall in a striking contrast of color. Blue, with a touch of yellow and red. There stands Mystique, looking amused as usual. It's always nice to see the children at play, and little Olena's truly coming along nicely. Who the heck knows how long she's been standing around watching. Maybe she was stuck to the wall pulling a chameleon act, it wouldn't be unheard of. Oleana drops and rolls as the wall beneath her feet disappears. She comes to her feet, recovering and drawing an arrow back, tracking John as he materializes. But, Magneto speaks before she fires and she relaxes her draw. Rising to her feet, she gives the gumshoe a simple nod. "That wall trick," she concedes. "Clever. Climbing the inside of it. You nearly had me." As far as she's concerned, he wasn't out-classed at all. He gave her a run for her money. And, actually, she does take a moment, now, to press a finger just beneath one ear and wiggle it to make the ringing stop. As Mystique applauds, however, she turns her head towards her. Another nod is given, this one with a faint smile. It was a good workout. There is no verbal acknowledgement of Magneto's response, but certainly one exists in Kwabena's eye. He prepares himself for landing, bracing his legs and making it nice and smooth. Probably not as graceful as Magneto's landing, given his own form of flight was remarkably different. He remains at Magneto's side, perhaps shifting just behind somewhat, so as to remain in the Imperator's shadow. However, he seeks Olena's gaze for a moment, and nods his head toward her. "Denami tu, de." The words are in his native tongue, but the inflection seems clearly complimentary. He refrains from acknowledging Carmichal, however. Perhaps it's just one of those 'speak when spoken to' things related to guests. Or, it could be the distraction of Mystique's clapping. Glancing her way, Shift can't help the smirk from touching the corners of his mouth. The same thought crosses his mind--the wall, rather than the fly upon it. "I encourage you all to use this venue," Magneto says, addressing Shift, Olena, and John. "We are strong, yes, but we can all be stronger. Just like your muscles, your powers need exercise. You must learn to be terribly subtle and subtly mighty," he informs them. His eyes crinkle at Mystique's position. "Our lovely lurker has illustrated the foremost virtue- patience. If she were an assassin loitering in our midst, she would have had the victor in her sights in a heartbeat. Diligence, patience, and intelligence," he reminds the trio. "Cardinal virtues that will serve you well." Carmichal's eyes are drawn to that slow idle clap, and finally to the woman it emits from, his eyes studying her, as if memorizing her. Of course he might also just be oggling. It's difficult to tell. He glances back to Olena then and grins "Thanks, toots..." he says "Though for my part it was necessity. I don't leap around like you do, so the only way up there was from inside the wall..." he says and shrugs. His eyes trace over Shift, and he offers the man a nod, acting perhaps as though he'd never seen the man, which of course all here, but Odame might already know. He tucks his mask into a pocket and steps back so that Magneto can see directly to Mystique if he wishes. This also places his back toward the nearest wall, with no one left behind him. He nods to Magneto then, assuming a somewhat formal posture, and then clears his throat. "Excellency, is it okay if I have a smoke?" he asks. "I would have asked earlier, but I didn't wish to be rude." he says idly. The resident shapeshifter takes a half step away from the wall and sweeps her arms out to her sides, taking a slight bow when Magneto compliments her abilities in front of the other. Once that's out of the way she saunters over to the group, yellow eyes alight in more ways than one. "Some of us have been at this game a little longer than others," she offers with a cool blend of two voices mixed into one. High and soft, low and resonant. "Skill takes time and experience. Do not be discouraged." She ends up at Magneto's side, one of his arms gently entwined within both of hers so that his shoulder might serve as a headrest. He is a pillar of strength around here, after all. Olena eyes John for a moment or two. Doll? Toots? Her English is strengthening, to be sure, but those forms of address... She's not quite sure how she should react to those. So, her eyes narrow lightly, and she falls silent. When in doubt, watch and listen. Casually, now, she slings the bow across her body and removes her visor to look at it. Perhaps she should speak to Mouse about an IR or UV mod for the thing. Or both? As Mystique draws near, Kwabena takes his leave of the Imperator, if only to approach Carmichal. "You were tracking me in Louisville," he says. "Don't worry. Dere are no secrets among friends. You did what you had to do... I did what I had to do." He opens his hands. "And now we're here, right?" He reaches over then, suddenly clapping John on his shoulder. "I would prefer it if you smoked outside," Magneto informs John. He smiles at Mystique and pats her hand affectionately as she leans against him. "The lab does need to remain clear of contaminants, and cigarette vapor puts additional stress on the filters. If you need to smoke, the back patio is open," he says, gesturing towards the stairwell. As Kwabena and John step aside to talk, Magneto looks to Mystique. "Any sage advice for your pupil? She is coming along rather exceptionally," he says, including both women in the praise. "It is a great burden off my mind to know I have two such purposful and skillful allies such as yourselves." Carmichal nods to Magneto "Of course, Excellency..." he looks around a bit awkwardly as Shift leaves, and finally he turns then, moving toward the exit pointed out to him for that smoke. He nods to Mystique, and Olena idly, picking up his coat and hat on the way out, figuring he'd been dismissed, and wanting that smoke anyway. When the question is raised Mystique's attention shifts over to Olena, her head straightening out upon her shoulders. Someone's been given new toys, which means one thing. "Continue to practice with your new gear until it becomes an extension of yourself. Never rely on it to take up the slack for you." While it's good to see that she's being upgraded it does mean that she's not likely to be quite as good as before. Not until she's every bit as familiar with the new stuff as she had been the old. At the very least, Mystique wants absolute confidence that Olena is ready when the time comes. With her piece spoken her attention gravitates toward the newer man, John. Their ranks are always growing, and this one seems content to bring a touch of class to their numbers. She'll be interested in watching this man as he continues to get settled in with the rest of the crew, as well. With his departure she bows her head slightly in return, still looking as amused as always. Olena watches the two men leave. Her shoulders adjust slightly. Seems she's a trifle more comfortable without their presence. She listens to what Mystique tells her and nods. She can already feel in her body where she'll have to adapt. The lighter weight is great, but it means she doesn't always need quite as much force to accomplish her goals. Which is just fine. And she doesn't mind the practice, anyway. "If I may ask," she ventures, now, glancing between the two, "Mr. Carmichal. What is his purpose? His goal, I think, is not... entirely in line with ours, da?" Magneto grins ruefully at Olena. "You're becoming quite astute at the art of intrigue," he compliments the woman. He reaches out with his senses for a moment, assuring himself John is really gone from the room. "It is entirely possible that Mister Carmichael is exactly as he appears- a mutant looking for a home and a family. Then again... he is the kind of man they used to call 'hard-boiled', and grew up in an era when patriotism and valor were words that went hand in hand. He's had military training, and alluded to service in World War II. I strongly suspect he was a member of either the OSS or the Strategic Scientific Reserve, both forerunners to SHIELD." Magneto speaks very plainly and calmly to the women. "And given that mentions of the Silver Ghost stopped mysteriously six decades ago, I suspect that he is a man out of time. Now, for a vital and skilled asset with knowledge of formerly classified operations to surface, well.... SHIELD would be stupid /not/ to attempt to recruit him somehow." "So we will wait and watch, and woo Mister Carmichael. See if he is really the ally we hve been looking for. He may very well be a great addition to Genosha. In the meanwhile- until he proves himself- we will watch him." Here is a question that Mystique is also wondering about. Now that Magneto has spoken she knows what she must do. "I am confident that any skeletons will be quick to fall out of his closet, should any exist." If there's record of him on SHIELD's network she will be sure to find it and get to the bottom of the matter, personally. It's that very thought which has her slipping away from the Imperator, this time drawing the Ukrainian sharpshooter into a gentle hug. "I will be gone for a time, child. Do not let my absence discourage you from your training or support to the Brotherhood." Before she takes her own leave she will pass Erik another look on the sly, one of her usual amusement alongside her often just as usual malice. Times Square has been properly terrorized, leaving her free for the next item upon her agenda. Olena returns the hug, and offers Mystique a smile. "I won't," she promises. She mulls over Carmichal briefly, and then sets those thoughts aside. "I have heard," she notes to them, now, "that the government in Ukraine intends to celebrate the service of certain... prominent state figures. I am thinking I may go. Thank them for their service to my people." And she doesn't mean the common Ukrainians. A beat. "I am also thinking I should maybe be discrete." Unlike in the operation yesterday. Magneto smiles at Mystique. No words are needed. The two have spent enough time together that a glance and an expression can speak as much as volumes. The Imperator reaches out and with an almost playful affection, taps Olena on the nose. "Diligence, patience, intelligence," he reminds her. "With the fourth rule being, 'Don't embarass the Imperator'. Be safe if you go," he counsels the young woman. "Remember that vengeance is best served and dealt cold- in the heat of the moment is when we are most likely to make mistakes. Be as patient as the river, then strike like thunder." "Da," Olena replies. She gives a mild shrug and a small smile. "I am thinking... I know people. Good people. Who, perhaps, think as we do. They could be made... better. I have been reading history. Mr. Carmichal. You say he is from World War Two? I have been reading of World War Two. How people resist Nazis. How they make small... cells. Attack and run. Create... how they called? Railroad. Underground. To take refugees from frontlines. Smuggle out of ghetto. I think... I think could be done in Ukraine. If I am careful." "Come along, dear," Magneto says, inviting Olena to accompany him upstairs. "Let's go to my study and discuss your travels a bit. I think there are some lessons about the Nazis you should learn. Have I ever told you of my home in Poland...?" Magneto moves for the stairwell with Olena in tow, listening to her plan and offering council about her operation. Mystique may be the mistress of disguise, and Olena may be the perfect infiltrator, but there are none more adept than Magneto at planning a grand campaign of war and conquest. Diligence, patience, intelligence, indeed. Category:Log